"In the first case, a man visiting from California was boarding a plane at LaGuardia and traveling with a legally-licensed gun that was being transported according to federal aviation law. When he declared the gun that was in his checked baggage, he was arrested for illegally carrying a firearm in NYC.

A week later, a woman visiting from Tennessee, with a legal carry permit from her home state, was arrested while visiting the 9/11 memorial. Upon seeing a sign that said “no guns allowed” she approached a police officer to inquire where she could check the .32 caliber pistol she carried in her purse."

I'd kind of like to know how often these things actually happen. Sometimes I think we're so terrified by what might happen that we forget that they usually don't, whether we're prepared for them or not. Bears coming through windows, rioters breaking into your house, etc.

eta: I hasten to add that I don't want to know that these things DO happen. Just how often they actually do.

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"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." - Catherine Aird

I'd kind of like to know how often these things actually happen. Sometimes I think we're so terrified by what might happen that we forget that they usually don't, whether we're prepared for them or not. Bears coming through windows, rioters breaking into your house, etc.

eta: I hasten to add that I don't want to know that these things DO happen. Just how often they actually do.

Um, there's a female forum member who had a bear half way through her AS window. I can't remember how she finally got him to leave...a frying pan or something. Sorry, that's so Jackie Gleason of me.

Somebody know what thread that was?

Although not in my AS, I have had 2 instances where black bear were too close to me and 2 instances where wolf packs were too close to me. I wasn't packing each time, but wished I were. Too scared of the law. But somehow that hunting knife seem woefully inadequate. I also had bear repellant.....again seemd pretty feeble in my hand.

BTW, wolves concern me more than black bears. Something about animals that hunt in packs......

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-Rich-

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green

"In the first case, a man visiting from California was boarding a plane at LaGuardia and traveling with a legally-licensed gun that was being transported according to federal aviation law. When he declared the gun that was in his checked baggage, he was arrested for illegally carrying a firearm in NYC.

A week later, a woman visiting from Tennessee, with a legal carry permit from her home state, was arrested while visiting the 9/11 memorial. Upon seeing a sign that said “no guns allowed” she approached a police officer to inquire where she could check the .32 caliber pistol she carried in her purse."

I have life insurance with accidental death and dismemberment. Hope I don't have to use that often either.

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-Rich-

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green

This is rediculous..........Has anybody ever actually been searched through their vehicle or trailer while pulling in a National Park or other federal property where they are banned?................For me, the answer is NO........NEVER even been asked if I have anything.......Customs yes, of course going both ways across the border......but a park ranger, gate guard, MP/SP/AP, or rentacop....NEVER........do what you need to do and just keep your mouth shut........God bless...........Dennis

He's right...we dont get searched when going to a camp ground...and NEVER EVER NEVER consent to a search of your vehicle...if the LEO has probable cause, he wont 'ask'..he'll just do the search..DO NOT voluntarily give up your 4A rights!

I have a CCW permit. I believe it is recognized in all but Illinois and Hawaii. And of course Canada and Mexico. Mexico would be where it might be needed the most.

It worries me to hear people say things like this. Firearms laws are a crazy quilt of widely differing state laws. A good source of up to date license reciprocity information is Handgunlaw.us

If you go to this web site and click on the outline of the state of Iowa it will bring up a reciprocity map showing the states where your [Iowa] CCW permit is honored and the ones where it is not. A quick count shows 25 states where it is not. If you carry your gun on the road you best know which states are which, as violation is usually a f-e-l-o-n-y which means you might be doing some time if caught.

Bye the way, it is my understanding that our RV's are treated just like our homes regarding search / seizure and weapons possession. Border crossings are certainly the exception.

The above Traveler’s Guide goes into this in some detail. Be aware that the “my RV is my home and my home is my castle” defense depends on many factors, including whether or not you are connected to utilities in a duly rented site. So, it may be valid when you are camped in a campground but not when stopped at a roadside rest area or Wal-Mart.
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I have life insurance with accidental death and dismemberment. Hope I don't have to use that often either.

Thing is, a gun wouldn't have helped you much with a pack of wolves, seriously, and I noticed that she got out of that without a gun. And, um, I've had a lot of training on how to avoid bears, from my backpacking days. I'm not particularly against guns or for them, but I'm thinking that on the evidence so far, they're probably not so vitally necessary to make hysteria necessary if you can't carry one.

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"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." - Catherine Aird

Zlee, It's really not about hysteria as is so often stated to try and make the "reasonable" question their reason. It's about preparedness....99 times ya don't need it, but that one time when ya go "crap", it's too late.

Actually guns work pretty well with wolves, if ya read up. Unless they are REALLY hungry, usually a round popped off scatters them at least long enough to prepare a physical defense. And often, when one of theirs goes down, the rest leave. They're not stupid.

Black bears are pretty much scardy cats. Probably don't even need a gun to deal with them, unless you are really stupid in your behavior. There are exceptions when they don't act normally. Better be a good shot or have a BIG handgun.

A griz...I really wouldn't want to try with my .357. Not sure I could do much more than p*** him off unless he stood up and exposed his vitals.

Don't really want to get in an arguement on things I've read up on.....but even those are an author's opinions.

However, if they want to taste my flesh, they're at least gonna have to pay for it!

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-Rich-

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green

I'd really rather skip the chance at all. I'd imagine that all of the above would have to be pretty hungry (or trained out of human contact aversion) to make voluntary human contact. The chances of my needing a gun for these situations is pretty low, looking at the anecdotal evidence AND the statistical evidence. Even running into the odd human on drugs is statistically a low occurrence. Given the trickiness of carrying a gun by law, easier to carry the pepper spray, I think.

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"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." - Catherine Aird

I'd really rather skip the chance at all. I'd imagine that all of the above would have to be pretty hungry (or trained out of human contact aversion) to make voluntary human contact. The chances of my needing a gun for these situations is pretty low, looking at the anecdotal evidence AND the statistical evidence. Even running into the odd human on drugs is statistically a low occurrence. Given the trickiness of carrying a gun by law, easier to carry the pepper spray, I think.

Everybody really has to decide what they're comfortable with. I carry bear repellant as well. (should work with wolves). Gun would be last resort. I have no desire to kill a marvelous wild creature....but IF and only IF it's him or me.....I choose me.

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-Rich-

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green

BTW, they do get hungry. Won't go into a long story, but a friend was CC skiing, and snowshoeing up nort' to go ice fishing in the BWCA. I'm talkin a 3 day hike in. Another adventurer approached after he had set up camp and had been fishin' for awhile. The stranger told him that for the last two days a wolf pack had been trailing his footsteps in the snow and were somewhere around the frozen lake where he had set up camp (judging by the tracks). Pretty creepy stuff when you know they are pretty hungry after extended deep snow cover. He never saw them and I don't know if he was armed. He's a hunter, so I bet he was.

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-Rich-

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - Red Green

Yes -- and if I was a backcountry hiker or hunter in wilderness (or even in locations where the predators have lost human aversion), I'd probably be armed too. In my Airstream...not so much. I tend to avoid places where the animals are actively going for me. Lots of places where they're not.

Come to think of it, I tend to avoid places where the humans are actively going for me, as well.

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"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." - Catherine Aird